Public Associate Strong 85/100

De Anza College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Cupertino, California

About De Anza College

Thinking about De Anza College, a college in California where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

De Anza College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Cupertino, California. It enrolls 15,264 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
3.1%
Net Price
$6,642
Median Earnings (10yr)
$56,596
Enrollment
15,264
Student : Faculty
24:1

Accreditor Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic Calendar Quarter

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
85/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 83
Value 91
Affordability 47
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

De Anza College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $6,642 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$6,642
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
18%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
3%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,571
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,596
Room & Board (off-campus)
$20,791
Books & Supplies
$1,795
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$14,975

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $5,887
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $4,834
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $7,798
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,094
  • Over $110,000
    $11,825

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,719
10% percentile
$3,167
25% percentile
$5,625
Median percentile
$10,832
75% percentile
$19,822
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $7,000 ↑ $1,375
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $125
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $125
Independent students $8,709 ↑ $3,084
Female students $6,334 ↑ $709
Male students $6,500 ↑ $875
Pell recipients: 17.7% (996 students)No Pell: 13.9% (782 students)Dependent students: 13.9% (782 students)Independent students: 22.0% (1,239 students)Female students: 16.0% (901 students)Male students: 16.4% (925 students)Overall Median$5,625
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, close to what completers borrow ($5,625) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

3% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
3%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $56,596 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$56,596
Earning > $25K
74%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$41,000$46,000$50,000$54,000$59,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$46,900

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$53,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$48,800

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$52,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$63,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $7,000, about 13% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means: Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$8.5 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 15,264 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 52% are the first in their family to go to college, and 46% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
15,264
Part-Time
46%
First-Generation
52%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Asian 36.4% 5,555
Hispanic 26.7% 4,082
White 19.4% 2,958
International 8.4% 1,287
Other 5.4% 830
Black 2.7% 414
Asian: 36.4% (5,555 students)Hispanic: 26.7% (4,082 students)White: 19.4% (2,958 students)International: 8.4% (1,287 students)Other: 5.4% (830 students)Black: 2.7% (414 students)Total15,264

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at De Anza College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Cupertino, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
28% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

De Anza College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 55 distinct programs across 23 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
5 Programs
4 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 24 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
24:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,209
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$16M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$103,589
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

236 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Instructors 236 100% $103,589

Pros & Cons of De Anza College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where De Anza College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, De Anza College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about De Anza College

The questions families ask most about De Anza College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does De Anza College cost?
Budget around $6,642 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is De Anza College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $56,596 a year against a net price of $6,642, about 8.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is De Anza College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do De Anza College graduates earn?
About $56,596 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is De Anza College accredited?
Yes. De Anza College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend De Anza College?
15,264 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at De Anza College?
3% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is De Anza College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is De Anza College located?
De Anza College is located in Cupertino, California.
What programs does De Anza College offer?
55 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at De Anza College?
24 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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